2000
#13,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,096
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Jeffords
Derived from a place name meaning "ford of a man called Geoff" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,347 Americans carry the last name Jeffords. That puts it at #14,087 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,039 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jeffords surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,039
Census rank
#14,087
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,047 bearers of the surname Jeffords in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14087th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeffords, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jeffords
The surname Jeffords originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "geof" meaning "gift" and "ford" meaning "ford" or "river crossing," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a ford or river crossing that was considered a gift or valuable resource.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jeffords can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the spelling used in this document was "Gefordis," which is an early variation of the modern Jeffords.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various medieval records and documents, often spelled as "Jefford," "Jefforde," or "Jeffords." These variations likely reflect regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions at the time.
One notable individual bearing the Jeffords surname was Sir John Jeffords, who lived in the 15th century. He was a member of the English gentry and served as a knight during the Wars of the Roses. Records indicate that he was born around 1420 and died in 1487.
In the 16th century, the name Jeffords appeared in connection with several place names in England, such as Jeffords Holt in Shropshire and Jeffords Green in Buckinghamshire. These place names suggest that the surname may have originated from specific locations where early bearers of the name resided.
Another prominent figure with the Jeffords surname was Thomas Jeffords, a Puritan minister who lived during the 17th century. He was born in England around 1620 and later emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in North America, where he served as a minister in various Congregational churches until his death in 1695.
In the 18th century, the name Jeffords can be found in records related to the American Revolutionary War. One such individual was Samuel Jeffords, a soldier from Connecticut who fought in the Continental Army during the conflict. He was born in 1755 and died in 1825.
Moving into the 19th century, the surname Jeffords continued to be present in both England and North America. One notable bearer was Alfred Jeffords, an English architect who was born in 1835 and designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House and the National Gallery.
Throughout its history, the surname Jeffords has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, clergy, soldiers, and professionals. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and histories of those who bore the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jeffords
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeffords, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Jeffords bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Jeffords surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,875
- Two or more races4.0% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 60
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jeffords
Jeffords appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,867
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,179
+83 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 526 places
2020
#14,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,047
-132 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 220 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,341 | 2,096 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,867 | 2,179 | 0.74 | +83 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 526 places |
| 2020 | #14,087 | 2,047 | 0.68 | -132 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 220 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Jeffords surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,867 | #14,087 | -1.6% |
| Count | 2,179 | 2,047 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.68 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jeffords bearers went from 2,179 to 2,047 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 220 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,867 to #14,087.
FAQ
Jeffords surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jeffords?
Name Census estimates that about 2,347 living Americans carry the surname Jeffords. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,039 residents.
How common is Jeffords?
Jeffords ranks #14,087 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,047 people with the surname Jeffords. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,347), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Jeffords.
Has Jeffords become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jeffords went from 2,179 recorded bearers to 2,047. That is a decrease of 132 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,867 to #14,087.
What does the Census say about the background of Jeffords?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeffords, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jeffords in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,875 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jeffords appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Jeffords (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Jeffords mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "ford of a man called Geoff" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Jeffords (0.68 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Jeffords?
Find out how many people have the last name Jeffords on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.